Sitting of Tuesday, 25 February 2025
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1741258607035810 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
Order of business
Speeches load per item. Summaries shown here are AI-generated and labelled; verbatim text is on each speech page.
- 1 Opening Parliament Opening 1 speeches
- 2 Papers Papers Presented 4 speeches
- 3 Petitions Petitions 9 speeches
- 4 Oral question Oral Question: SriLankan Airlines (Q.3/2024) 16 speeches
- The Hon. Speaker procedural
- Hon. Rohana Bandara
AI summary Hon. Rohana Bandara asked the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to provide details on SriLankan Airlines, including the number of aircraft currently owned, present flight destinations, and the current number of employees. He also requested information on the measures planned to further strengthen the national airline, and asked for reasons if the information could not be provided.
Public Finance Full speech → - Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma - Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning
AI summary Deputy Minister Harshana Suriyapperuma, responding on behalf of the Finance Minister, stated that SriLankan Airlines operates 22 leased aircraft, including three unused aircraft for which lease payments of about USD 0.9 million per month per aircraft have continued. He provided details of current destinations and said the airline had 6,056 employees as of 14 January 2025. He outlined a five-year business plan for 2025/26 to 2029/30 focused on operational profitability, balance sheet restructuring, reduced reliance on government support, market share growth, and product improvements, with the Ministry providing guidance.
- Hon. Rohana Bandara
AI summary Hon. Rohana Bandara questioned who ultimately bears SriLankan Airlines’ reported losses of about Rs. 2 billion between April and October 2024, arguing that the burden may fall on the wider public, including those who do not use air travel. He compared the situation to the assumption of Ceylon Petroleum Corporation debt through a fuel levy and asked whether the losses are recovered through ticket prices or met by the Treasury.
- Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma - Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning
AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma stated that the Rs. 20 billion allocated in the Budget for the airline is to address historical liabilities, not operating losses, noting that the airline is currently operating at a profit. He attributed the liabilities to past fraud, corruption, politicisation, and above-market aircraft lease arrangements, some linked to cases before foreign courts. He said the Government’s 2025–2030 plan does not envisage Budget funding for operating expenses and that discussions are under way on foreign-currency debt restructuring to make the airline self-sustaining without imposing future costs on the public.
- Hon. Rohana Bandara
AI summary Hon. Rohana Bandara argued that SriLankan Airlines was profitable under its Emirates partnership but incurred major losses after being brought fully under State control, despite having around 6,000 employees and 19 aircraft. He raised concerns about delays, cancellations and safety issues affecting expatriate demand for direct flights, and asked whether the Government would act on the J.C. Weliamuna Committee’s findings by prosecuting wrongdoing and recovering losses to the State.
- Hon. (Dr.) Harshana Suriyapperuma - Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning
AI summary The Deputy Minister stated that the Government would continue necessary action regarding ongoing cases, including those before international courts, while local investigations proceed. He said the five-year plan for the national carrier aims to restore its reputation, use transit traffic to support tourism, and prevent the airline from becoming a fiscal burden. He then introduced the matter of details on rice imports from 2015 under question 90/2024.
- Hon. Kins Nelson SJB
AI summary Hon. Kins Nelson requested detailed information from the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development on rice imports to Sri Lanka since 2015, including quantities, expenditure, source countries, and importing institutions. He also asked what measures the Government intends to take to reduce future rice imports, seeking an explanation if the information cannot be provided.
- Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe - Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development JJB
AI summary The Minister provided year-by-year data on rice imports from 2015 to January 2025, including quantities, CIF values, source countries, and noted that the full list of importers had been placed in the Library as a soft copy. He said major import volumes occurred in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2022, and explained that some specialty rice imports were made for diplomatic missions and specific restaurants with official authorization. He stated that 169,470 metric tons were imported between December 2024 and January 2025 in anticipation of shortages, while Government policy remains to promote domestic production, minimize imports, coordinate with relevant ministries to prevent shortages, and purchase paddy stocks to stabilize prices.
- Hon. Kins Nelson SJB
AI summary Hon. Kins Nelson questioned the Government about rice import measures taken during a recent shortage, noting that Sathosa, the State Trading Corporation and the private sector were permitted to import 160,000 metric tons and that a Rs. 65 per kg duty generated significant revenue. He asked whether, amid a renewed Nadu rice shortage ahead of the Sinhala and Hindu New Year and market prices exceeding the guaranteed price, the Government would pass any duty revenue relief to consumers or introduce special consumer-protection measures.
- Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe - Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development JJB
AI summary Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe stated that the Rs. 65 per kilogram duty on imported rice is intended to protect domestic rice market prices and farmers’ paddy prices during the harvest period, noting the Government’s guaranteed paddy prices of Rs. 120 for Nadu and Rs. 125 for Samba. He said the Consumer Affairs Authority is monitoring mills and retailers for compliance with controlled prices, with 38 shops raided for overpricing. He added that one Polonnaruwa mill with substantial state bank loans was found to be dictating higher prices, and that special action would be taken to ensure prices do not exceed controlled levels.
- Hon. Kins Nelson SJB
AI summary Hon. Kins Nelson raised concerns that the guaranteed paddy price applies only where moisture is capped at 14%, while many farmers, especially in the North Central Province, lack drying facilities and are forced to sell wet paddy at about Rs. 110. He said the Nadu rice shortage continues and that large millers are influencing both paddy and rice prices, and urged the Minister to intervene before the New Year to ensure fair prices for consumers and fair returns for farmers during the Maha harvest.
- The Hon. Speaker procedural
- Hon. Kins Nelson SJB
AI summary Hon. Kins Nelson briefly sought clarification from the Minister regarding canned fish, noting that it falls under the Minister’s purview and is connected to Sathosa.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Hon. Mujibur Rahman SJB
AI summary Hon. Mujibur Rahman pointed out that responsibility for canned fish falls under the relevant Minister’s portfolio. The remark appears to seek clarification or accountability from the Minister regarding that subject area.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe - Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development JJB
AI summary The Minister said Sri Lanka has 26 domestic canned fish manufacturers with capacity far above local demand, producing over 500,000 tins daily against demand of about 180,000. He noted industry concerns over raw fish imports, tin supplies and VAT, but said VAT had not placed local producers at an undue disadvantage. He stated that Maximum Retail Prices of Rs. 380, Rs. 420 and Rs. 517 were introduced at manufacturers’ request, keeping domestic canned fish competitive against imported tins landing above Rs. 520.
- 5 Oral question Oral Question: Investigations into Damaging Buddha Statues in Mawanella (Q.6/2024) 5 speeches
- 6 Procedural Question by Private Notice: School Teachers Recruitment and Dhamma School Teacher Allowances (SO 27(2)) 24 speeches
- 7 Debate Second Reading Debate: Appropriation Bill 2025 (Day 1-7) 26 speeches
- 8 Debate Second Reading Debate: Appropriation Bill 2025 (Continuation Day 7) 56 speeches
- 9 Debate Second Reading: Disposal of Waste (Prohibition) Bill 2025 9 speeches
- 10 Adjournment Adjournment 1 speeches